ALLIANCE – In front of a crowd of hundreds that featured students, faculty, staff, alumni, former institutional presidents and community members, Gregory L. King ’89 was inaugurated as the 14^th president of Mount Union during a ceremony held on Friday, May 12. 

With more than 30 years of service to the institution in a variety of roles, King most recently served as vice president for advancement for 14 years and interim vice president for enrollment management for the past two. His gratefulness and passion for Mount Union shone through during his remarks. He thanked several groups and individuals who guided him along his journey at the University, though kept the focus on students. 

“To our incredible students: none of this matters without you. You are the reason we do what we do. I am not in the business of making promises, but to you, I will promise that the decisions we make moving forward will center around you, and how it makes your experience better,” King said.

As the first individual to complete the University’s Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program, and the first president of color at Mount Union, King also highlighted the impact of his family. He offered special mention of his father, Warren King Sr., and uncle, Kenneth Toney Sr., who were both alumni of Mount Union, helping pave the way for his own career.

“I would like to take a moment…and recognize just how important Warren Sylvester King Sr. and Kenneth Toney Sr. were in paving the way for us and showing us that not only is a college education a possibility, but a Mount Union education,” King said.